Mnemosyne's Legacy
by lalia gariv
Summary: ‘Hermione! Hermione, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know!’ Ron cried out. He sat up in bed, sweating and breathing heavily. The vision of Hermione’s final moments of life never left him. Sequel to Her Eyes - you need to read Her Eyes before this. Ron is
1. Nightmares

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. Thus I am not JK Rowling. 

A/N: Thank you to Auror_Lib, my wonderful beta reader

**Mnemosyne's Legacy**

**Chapter 1: Nightmares**

_'AVADA KEDAVRA!' _

_I watch as the green light speeds towards her. Her deep brown eyes hold my gaze - they paralyse me. I cannot turn away. The combination of malice and sadness that I'm so used to seeing disappears; they soften. Her lips curve into a slight smile, as if she's remembering better times. She opens her mouth and whispers her final, chilling words._

_'I'll always love you, Ron.'     ___

'Hermione! Hermione, I'm so sorry! I didn't know!' Ron cried out. He sat up in bed, sweating and breathing heavily. The vision of Hermione's final moments of life never left him. It was as if he was cursed to relive them every night for the rest of his life. He felt that it was a just punishment. He remembered with grief that when he saw the love for him in her eyes and heard her utter those final words, he had finally recognised her; the powerful curse that had once controlled him had been broken by her sacrifice. But it was too late, he would never forgive himself. All those months of torturing her… his mind swam wildly with the thought; what was it about that last confrontation that changed it all?

                                                            *          *          *                                              

Blinding green light reflected throughout the cell, as the spell hit its target. Ron shielded his eyes against its brilliance. Once the light faded, he saw her crumpled figure splayed out, motionless, on the floor. The memories rushed back. _Hermione. Guilt swept over him in a rampaging flood. _Hermione.___ No! He trembled; his wand fell from his limp hand, clattering loudly on the cold stone floor as he flung himself towards her still form._

_Hermione! Hermione! Oh god, what have I done?! Kneeling beside her, he pulled her into his arms and rocked her body gently, sobbing loudly. Her lifeless eyes stared back at him, full of love and forgiveness. But the damage had been done and there was nothing he could do to change it. Sharp pangs of guilt and regret tortured him, though they were nothing compared to the screaming of his heart tearing in two. He buried his head into her tattered robes and cried._

                                                            *          *          *

Ron mopped his sweat-drenched brow with his sleeve, as he tried to regulate his breathing. He stared into the darkness until he could make out shapes. As he did each night since her death, he lifted the left sleeve of his shirt, staring in utter disgust at the outline of the hideous insignia that marked him for life as one of the Dark Lord's minions. The Dark Mark. He leaned back, resting his head against his pillow. How could he have _ever_ allowed himself to be branded like cattle? He turned on his side, filled with an angry regret. 

_But that fiend wasn't me, he argued with himself. _I didn't know what I was doing_. _

_It doesn't matter, snapped a voice from the depths of his mind._ You killed her. And what's worse, she's not the only one you killed, and you know that!_ He groaned audibly as his stomach churned sickeningly._

Whispers of memories of all he had done while he had been under the Dark Lord's influence tormented him endlessly. He was now at the point where a knife or a bottle of pills were looking more and more inviting, but something always stopped him from resorting to that. It was as if he had some other duty to perform before he finally could rest in peace.

Feeling thirsty, and still queasy to the stomach, Ron pushed the bed covers aside, got up and began to shuffle across the room to the small kitchen for a glass of water. Slightly off balance, he stumbled, as the unyielding flood of memories that haunted him inundated his mind once more; the dam that had once diverted them had been destroyed completely.


	2. The Sprint to Freedom

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. Thus I am not JK Rowling. 

A/N: Thank you to Auror_Lib, my wonderful and patient beta reader

**Chapter 2: The Sprint to Freedom**

Chaos. Terror. Fear. The smell of death hung thickly in the air. A piercing scream echoed down the third-floor corridor where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny hid, their hearts racing. Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest place in the Wizarding World next to Gringotts, but in his second rising, the Dark Lord had grown more powerful than ever before, and succeeded where he had failed previously in attacking the school.

Harry peered cautiously around a corner. Ron heard Hermione breathe in sharply beside him, and put his arm around her. Holding her tight, he rested his chin on top of her bushy hair. She was the most precious thing in the world to him, and he'd be damned if anything ever happened to her. He looked over her head to Ginny, who seemed apprehensive, fidgeting nervously with her fingers as though fighting a strong temptation to rush to Harry's side. 

'No, don't,' Ron whispered urgently, tugging on the back of her robes. His sister glanced back at him, her wide, brown eyes full of fear, before turning back to face Harry. She didn't move towards him, but watched him like a hawk, ready to swoop and protect him if anything happened.

Harry and Ginny had started going out a short while after Harry had 'recovered' from his crush on Cho Chang. Ron didn't mind – well, in the beginning he'd pulled off the 'big brother' routine, harassing Harry to the extreme, which caused numerous loud and messy fights with Hermione, who disapproved of the playful abuse. But secretly, he was pleased that Harry had fallen for his little sister. He felt that she couldn't have chosen a better man. _Can you imagine_, he'd mentioned several times to Hermione, as they sat together in front of the common room fireplace, _if she was going out with someone like _Malfoy_?!_ They'd both laughed hysterically at the idea. 

Ron smiled to himself, remembering one of the more entertaining 'tests' Harry had been set in order to measure his worthiness to date a Weasley female…

_Fred and George approached Harry, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace, shooting surreptitious glances at Ginny, who sat in a chair closer to the fire pretending to read. _

_'Harry!' Fred called out, startling Harry out of his visual exchange with Ginny. 'Harry, ol' boy, it's time for your next task!' Harry groaned and rolled his eyes._

_'Not again__!' he moaned._

_'Oh come on!' Ginny muttered exasperated, giving up her reading pretence. 'Can you guys please__ give it up? This is Harry__ you're torturing here!'_

_'If he wants to date you, sweet sister of ours, he must meet certain… expectations,' George said grinning mischievously. 'This time,' he went on, 'you have to cut a lock of Snape's hair, and bring it back with you. We need to see the proof.'_

_'WHAT?!'__ Harry exclaimed. 'You can't be serious!' He stared in horrified disbelief from Fred to George._

_'Completely and utterly,' Ron spoke up from the study table where he was playing with a stack of Exploding Snap cards. 'That's what you have to do if you want to date a Weasley woman,' he added matter-of-factly. Hermione looked up at him from the large pile of books in front of her and scowled._

_'So, that's different to wanting to date a Weasley male, is it?' she snapped. Ron got up and walked around the table to her._

_'Hermione, you know__ the hell I went through because I wanted to go out with you,' he said sweetly, glancing pointedly at the twins who smiled wickedly. He leant down and pecked her lightly on the forehead; Hermione pushed him away roughly._

_'Ooh, poor ickle Ronniekins!' laughed George. 'Now that's__ what I call cold. Good one, Hermione.' Hermione ignored him, instead concentrating on the book in front of her. She glowered at it, disgusted at Ron's involvement in the charade._

_'Shut up,' Ron retorted, his ears burning. He turned to Harry, changing the subject abruptly. 'So, Harry, what'll it be?'_

_Harry glanced at Ginny, and pulled back his shoulders determinedly._

_'Ok,' he decided. 'Well, I'll be off then.' He looked over to Ginny again. 'I'll be back later.' She nodded at him with an amused smile on her face as he walked towards the portrait entrance. _

_Fred and George ran after him, picking him up under the armpits and dragging him back, kicking and yelling in surprise to an armchair. 'Ferula__,' Fred chanted, waving his wand, and ropes began to bind Harry to the chair. Watching him struggle futilely with the ropes, Fred looked down at him, a large grin on his face._

_'You didn't actually think we were serious,_ did you?' __

_The common room burst into laughter._

Ron smiled at the memory of his practical joker brothers. Good old Fred and George, always up for a laugh. _Fred and George_. His heart gave an almighty lurch at the thought of them. _I hope nothing's happened to them, Ron thought desperately, aware of a large lump growing in his throat. In the chaos of the attack on Hogwarts, they had been separated from them. He refused to believe that they were anything but alive. Ron couldn't imagine life without his twin brothers and frankly, he didn't want to._

Harry turned back to them, startling Ron out of his reverie. 'It's clear,' he reassured them. 'If we hurry we make it to the statue!' He grinned, the first since the school came under siege. Another terrified scream reached their ears, this time closer to where they hid. The smile fell from Harry's face, his green eyes widening in spite of his attempts to mask his panic. Ron's heart jumped in fear, his eyes darting around him as if expecting the enemy to appear at any second. He held Hermione closer to him.

'Hurry!' Harry whispered urgently, his face grim and determined, and they sprinted down the empty hallway.

Never before had they been so terrified running down a Hogwarts corridor. The thought of being found and surrounded at any moment frightened them and urged them to move faster. Their pounding footsteps, echoing the rapid beating of their hearts, reverberated in their ears. It seemed as if the corridor would never end - the absence of familiar paintings, long filched or empty, as their portraits had fled with the appearance of the enemy, making it even worse.

Horrible thoughts ran continually through Ron's mind. He didn't know who else had escaped the Great Hall when the Death Eaters, led by Lord Voldemort himself, had entered the school attacking anyone in their path. He half-expected that each time they neared a door, they would be stopped in their tracks, and breathed an inaudible sigh of relief each time the doors remained shut as they passed.

_What was that? A sudden movement in the corner of his eye made his stomach jump nauseously. Without stopping to investigate, Ron spurred his legs on, ignoring their pains of protest. He grabbed Hermione's hand to pull her ahead of him, almost tripping her in the process. She grunted, but didn't complain as she normally would have – all her energy was focussed on running._

'There it is!' Ron heard Harry pant ahead of him. Trying to peer ahead in spite of the erratic movement of his running, Ron could make out the statue of the humped-back witch, marking the secret tunnel that would lead them out of Hogwarts and to the safety of Hogsmeade. Ron twisted around, mid-stride, to face Hermione, only to see her mouth creased in a smile of relief. His heart jolted; if Hermione was happy, he had nothing to worry about. Fuelled by the relief at seeing their goal within their grasp, the last stretch of corridor seemed to pass like lightning. Another ten paces and they would make it… 

They'd made it. They stood around the statue grinning broadly at each other, panting too heavily to speak - there was no need for words. Harry, still gasping for breath, brandished his wand and peered nervously around them before he stepped up to the statue. He tapped his wand on the witch's hump and whispered, '_Dissendium_'. Almost immediately, the tunnel entrance appeared, and he stepped through first, checking for any signs of danger. A moment later, he popped out again and beckoned to Ginny, who followed him in. Hermione was next, closely followed by Ron, who closed the entrance behind him. He breathed a huge sigh of relief, but froze mid-sigh at the sound of a muffled chuckle beside him.


	3. The Day of Reckoning

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter. Thus I am not JK Rowling. 

A/N: Thank you to Auror_Lib, my fantastic beta reader. 

**Chapter 3: The Day of Reckoning**

Ron's heart leapt at the sound of the chuckle. He held his breath as he listened intently, not daring to move. There it was again! Exhaling hastily, his mind swam in panic. Who was there? Was it a trap? Grabbing hold of his wand, he held it out in front of him, ready to curse the prowler into next year. '_Lumos_,' he muttered. In the pale light of his wand, he could make out Hermione standing next to him, trying to suppress relieved laughter behind her hands. She noticed his apprehensive stare and giggled harder. Ron began to relax, unable to fight the smile that had crept involuntarily over his face. 

*          *          *

Ron smiled in the darkness of his room as he remembered Hermione's laugh. In his mind, it took on a fairy-like quality. He started, realising that it had been the last time he ever heard her laugh, and jerked, groaning, as if physically attempting to block out the memories - they were too painful. Yet another memory pushed its way forward from his subconscious. Surrendering helplessly to the onslaught, he leaned back uneasily, as the events in the Great Hall, the morning that had changed their lives forever, replayed in his mind. 

*          *          *

Eight a.m., breakfast time. Ron ran into the Great Hall late, having overslept. Spotting Harry and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table with Fred, George and Ginny, he quickened his pace.

'Good morning, Sleepyhead,' Hermione smiled sweetly, sliding down the bench to make room for him. He leaned forward and she gave him a kiss.

'Morning.' He smiled at her, and sat down. He turned to Harry, who sat across the table. 'Why didn't you wake me up?' he asked, grabbing a piece of buttered toast from the stack in front of him.

'I tried,' Harry replied swallowing a mouthful of porridge, 'but all you did was give one huge snore and turn to your side. I was hungry so I left. Serves you right for staying up half the night!' He glanced wickedly from Ron to Hermione. 'Ow!' he yelped as Ron kicked him viciously under the table. Harry rubbed his ankle, glaring back at Ron, but he didn't retaliate.

'And what _were you doing, Ronnie?' George asked mock-innocently._

_'Homework?' smirked Fred._

'Something tells me I don't think so!' George said in a sing-song voice, peering intently into Ron's slowly reddening face. Ron tried to move out of his brother's line of sight.

Hermione, blushing furiously, snorted into her porridge. 'You snore?' She turned to Ron, her mouth curving into an amused grin. Ginny, sitting beside Harry, began to shake in silent laughter.

'Oh yeah, he does it all the time. He sounds like a steam engine in serious need of a chimney sweep. You should hear him, he drives us nuts!' Harry grinned. Ron glared daggers at him and shot another well-aimed kick under the table. 'Ow!'

'Once,' Fred recounted happily, 'we put shaved pieces of soap into his mouth to stop him.'

'He was literally frothing at the mouth!' added George.

'I remember that!' Ginny interrupted enthusiastically. 'He nearly choked on the bubbles. Mum was absolutely furious!'

'Yeah, she confiscated our brooms for a whole month! Almost didn't make the cut for the Quidditch team that year,' George reminisced with a small scowl.

Ron humphed, glowering grumpily at them. 'Would've served you both right if you didn't,' he said. Fred stood up and lunged at Ron, grabbing him in a headlock. 'Ah, you don't mean that, do you, brother dear?'

Ron scoffed, but said nothing. He struggled to get out of his brother's grip, his ears burning brightly. '_I do not snore!' he declared, pulling himself free._

'If you don't snore then why are you blushing?' Hermione asked, struggling to keep a straight face. Harry and Ginny burst into uncontrollable laughter. Hermione gave in and joined them with a loud giggle despite Ron's glares. 

Suddenly, Harry stopped laughing, clutching at his forehead with his hands. 'Ouch!' he yelped. The laughter stopped abruptly; they looked at him half curious, half concerned.

'What?' Ginny asked. 'What's wrong, Harry? What is it?'

'My – my scar!' he breathed painfully, 'It's burning!' 

'BOOM!' 

Ron jumped. 'What the…?' he exclaimed. A loud explosion at the entrance of the Great Hall attracted their attention. Everyone in the Hall froze as the dust settled. 

Harry, his hand still pressed against his scar, stopped short and pointed, his mouth open in horrified disbelief. There, in the entrance of the Great Hall, stood none other than Lord Voldemort, flanked by a large number of Death Eaters. There was a collective gasp as they automatically brandished their wands. 

That's when the screaming began.


	4. The Long Kiss Goodnight

**Chapter 4: The Long Kiss Goodnight**

A tear rolled slowly down Ron's cheek, leaving a wet trail in its wake. Never before had he been able to remember that day so vividly. Another tear followed, tracing a new path down his face. He roughly wiped the tears away, refusing to give in to them anymore. He pulled himself back to his feet, although he didn't remember falling to the floor, and only managed to take one step before the rush of memories knocked him unwittingly to the ground once more. He curled protectively into foetal position, his hands over his head.

***          *          ***

Ron climbed up the last few stairs at the end of the tunnel, Harry, Hermione and Ginny not far behind him. Reaching for the latch of the trapdoor above him, he paused for a moment, breathing in deeply as he gathered his courage. Gripping it tightly, he lifted the trapdoor a crack, peering tentatively into the gloom of Honeydukes' cellar. Hearing nothing, and seeing no sign of any shoes, he lifted it higher to get a better look around. The trapdoor squeaked, and he winced, freezing as his heart beat wildly. Straining his ears, he listened for any noise, trying to ignore the loud thumping of his heart. Silence. He lifted the trapdoor higher still. 

'Well, well, well. What do we have here?' simpered a familiar voice. Ron stood stock still before slowly turning to face the watery, blue-eyed gaze of Wormtail accompanied by a small group of Death Eaters, their faces hidden in the depths of their robes.

'What's going on, Ron?' Ginny whispered apprehensively. 'Who's there?' Her words brought Ron to his senses. 

'Run!' he yelled, yanking the trapdoor shut and turning towards them.

'What?' Harry asked in surprise.

'It's a trap!' Ron answered frantically, pushing them forward. They scrambled back down the stairs, running madly in the darkness of the tunnel, the light of their wands bobbing erratically with their movements. Behind them, Ron heard a loud bang as the trapdoor was thrown open. 

'Get them!' Wormtail yelled at the horde of Death Eaters. Hearing this, they ran harder, refusing to give in to their legs' protests. Loud footsteps pounded in a syncopated rhythm behind them, heightening their fear and spurring them on. Up ahead he could almost make out the Hogwarts entrance of the tunnel. 

'_Stupefy!' yelled a hoarse voice. Ron blacked out. _

*          *          *

'No more, please, no more,' Ron pleaded aloud. He already knew what was about to happen, and he couldn't endure any longer - not now, not ever. He crawled to his knees, fighting the downpour of memories, he tried to focus on an image of Hermione, but the vision changed abruptly from the bright, bubbly girl he had spent years fighting and arguing with and loving, to her lifeless body sprawled on the cold, stone floor of her cell. Falling to the floor once again, he clenched his teeth, hugging himself tightly as he rocked back and forth. 

He closed his eyes against the image; he didn't want to remember her like that. He deliberately shut the horrible image of Hermione out of his head and concentrated on Harry. He gave a small smile. Harry his brave and loyal best friend. Harry, who had always been there for him. _Harry_. Ron stopped; his head jerking upwards. _Wait – Harry is still here - in one of the dungeons!_ Ron stood up so quickly that his head swam. _I can do something right!_ he thought frantically, his mind racing. Rushing out of the room, he headed determinedly towards the dungeons.

*          *          *

'Wha- what am I doing here? Why are we in the Great Hall? What's going on?' Ron asked groggily as he awoke. He sat propped up against a wall on the floor next to Hermione, his wrists and ankles bound together with rope, as were Hermione's. An extra length linked the wrists to the ankles, limiting their movement to a bare minimum. 

'Shh!' Hermione hushed him, as the Death Eater towering over them moved towards Ginny and Harry, who lay unconscious beside them. Eyes widening in horror, Ron searched frantically for his wand, but couldn't find it anywhere. Stopping the search, he almost cried out as the Death Eater pointed his wand at Ginny.

'No, don't,' Hermione whispered urgently. Ron watched the Death Eater's wand, brutally aware of his helplessness.

'_Enervate,' he heard the Death Eater mutter. Ginny stirred slightly, before opening her eyes. She tried to stifle a yawn with her hand, but couldn't reach, and trembled when she set her eyes on the Death Eater in front of her. Her eyes remained fixed on him as he aimed his wand at Harry, but he merely performed the same charm before walking back to the large group of Death Eaters gathered near the High Table as Harry stirred and awoke._

'What's going on?' Ron whispered to Hermione, once they were out of the Death Eater's earshot. 

'They've taken over the school,' she breathed, her voice wavering.

'But Dumbledore… and the other teachers… they're not… they can't be…'

'Dead,' she finished, a vacant expression in her eyes. Ron leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes, stunned. He heard Hermione gasp suddenly and he opened them again. Voldemort and the Death Eaters were moving towards where they sat. Voldemort stopped, standing in front of Harry, grinning evilly.

'Harry Potter,' he said silkily, 'how nice of you to drop in. I hope you and your friends are comfortable.'

Harry shook in anger, but said nothing.

'Hmm… interesting.' Voldemort paced the space in front of them. 'I would have thought after our last meeting that you would have at least _something_ to say to me.'

'What makes you think that?' Harry spat.

'Ah! The Boy-Who-Lived is now the Boy-Who-Finally-Speaks!' Voldemort smirked at his joke, and the Death Eaters behind him chuckled sycophantically.

'Don't quit your day job,' Harry replied brusquely. Voldemort glared at him, before fixing his gaze on Ron, Hermione and Ginny.

'Mudbloods and traitorous Purebloods. Interesting company you keep,' he purred, nodding at them. 'I would have thought you of all people to choose your friends with more care. I hear Master Malfoy _personally_ asked you to become better acquainted with him numerous times.'

'I wouldn't even bother to poke Malfoy with a fifty-foot broomstick, let alone become his friend!'

Voldemort arched his eyebrow. 'Insults, mockery, rivalry… tut, tut. Is this what they teach you here, in this day and age, Mr. Potter?' he asked mockingly. 'It's a good thing, then, that I decided to 'refurbish' my old school when I did. I had such memorable times here…' he reflected thoughtfully. Noticing Harry's shocked reaction to his declaration, Voldemort continued. 'It will be much more efficient now without these insignificant and unworthy Mudbloods cluttering it up.' His gaze flickered to Hermione.

Ron couldn't stand it any longer, he felt a surge of courage envelope him. 'You leave her alone!' he yelled angrily. 'There's nothing wrong with being Muggle-born!' Hermione stared at him in horror, paling with fear at his outburst.

Voldemort's gaze wandered over to Ron, his crimson eyes narrowing dangerously. 'Do you have a problem, _Ronald Weasley? I hear that your __late father was also a Muggle-loving fool, much like you seem to be,' he sneered disdainfully._

Ron stared at him in shock. He heard Ginny let out a loud sob. 'You… you _what_?!' he yelled. A lump formed in the back of his throat. _No, not Dad, it can't be, he prayed ferverently. __No! Tears threatened to fall, but he choked them back. He didn't want to give Voldemort the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He sniffed bravely and tried to swallow, clenching his fists tightly. _

Voldemort ignored Ron's outburst, surveying him with interest. Hermione noticed Voldemort's expression – it was similar to the one she displayed whenever she found an exciting new charm. It frightened her. She glanced uneasily from Voldemort to Ron.

Ron's shocked grief gave way to intense anger. 'You killed my father? You complete bastard!' He tried to stand, wobbling precariously on his bound feet. He was oblivious to Voldemort's examining stares, as he was roughly pushed back down by a Death Eater, whose long white-blonde hair escaped the depths of his hood. 

'Let him alone, Lucius,' Voldemort ordered, not taking his eyes off Ron. 'I have seen something that I think I may find… useful.'

Ron stared up at him, puzzled; he had expected to have been killed already - Voldemort was not known for his mercy, after all. Glancing at Harry, Ron saw that he wore the same quizzical look on his face he was sure was plainly visible on his own. Voldemort gave Ron what he supposed was a smile. Ron felt sick.

'Release them,' Voldemort commanded suddenly. The four of them looked at him in suspicion, and then to one another in confusion. _What the heck is going on?_ Ron thought worriedly. _Something is _definitely _not right_. As he stood up, rubbing his rope-burned wrists, the Death Eaters moved in closer to them, suddenly yanking Ron away from the others. 

'Hey!' he cried out, frantically trying to get back to them. 

'Ron! No!' Hermione cried, aghast, reaching out to him. She was held back by a Death Eater.

'What do you think you're doing?' Harry yelled at Voldemort. 'It's me you want, isn't it? Take me!' Voldemort ignored him. 

During the confusion, Ginny was torn away from the group, much to Harry's horror. She tried to break herself free from her captors, kicking them fiercely, but to no avail. The Death Eaters held her as she gave in, crying in strangled sobs, tears streaming down her cheeks in wide rivulets. Harry and Hermione were easily restrained by the two Death Eaters, who held them back in vice-like grips. 

Pinned between two other Death Eaters, Ron stood frozen in fear as Voldemort slowly walked around him, examining him carefully. 'Yes… yes… hmm…' he muttered. '… could be very useful indeed.' Ron held his breath as Voldemort stepped closer to him, and handed him back his wand. Without any warning, Voldemort lifted his own wand and aimed it at him. '_Imperio_!'

Ron felt like he was floating. All his thoughts and worries were gently wiped away, as if his mind had suddenly become a clean slate. He felt vaguely happy. In the distance he heard a high-pitched yell of protest, but it grew weaker and weaker until it died away completely, only to be replaced by Voldemort's voice: _Kill the Weasley girl… kill the Weasley girl…it commanded._

He looked at Ginny, standing in the arms of her Death Eater captors, and felt himself move towards her. Her eyes widened as she realised what was about to happen. 'No… no…' she breathed faintly not wanting to believe it. 

Harry and Hermione yelled, struggling violently with their keepers, but it was no use; there was nothing they could do, but watch the scene before them in helpless horror. 

He kept moving closer and closer to Ginny, his wand outstretched in front of him. _Kill the Weasley girl… His mind was blank; all he heard were these words running continually through his head. He stopped right in front of Ginny's pale, frightened face, and stood there, his face set in a hard, unyielding expression._

'Ron… Ron, please…' she cried softly, her voice cracking. The look on Ron's face frightened her; this was not her brother. Not the one who used to play with her ain the backyard of the Burrow when their older brothers were away at Hogwarts. Or the one who had confided in her when he was too scared to ask Hermione out. A tear trickled down her already wet cheeks. 

He lifted his wand and pointed it at her. 'Ron…' she pleaded weakly. 'Ron, please don't kill me…' Her voice died away -there was no recognition in his eyes. The tears rolled freely down her face. He opened his mouth.

'_AVADA KEDAVRA!' _

In an instant, bright green light emanated throughout the Hall. Ginny fell lifeless to the floor. There was a scream, and suddenly Hermione was at Ginny's side, leaving a Death Eater doubled-over in pain in her wake. Harry stood motionless, his arms pinned behind his back by his captor, his mouth open in disbelief as he stared at Ginny's limp body. A single tear streaked down his cheek, his glasses askew.

Ron felt the empty, echoing feeling in his mind disappear. He blinked and saw Voldemort smirk at him with malicious glee. In his confusion, he looked about wildly, stopping abruptly when he spotted his sister lying on the ground in front of him. He began to shake uncontrollably.

'NO!' he yelled, throwing himself down next to Ginny's still body. He sobbed wildly, pushing Hermione away when she tried to put her arms around him. Ginny lay there, dead, her dark red hair splayed out like a fan on the stone ground, her eyes open, staring at him with vacant horror and fear, the wet tears scarring her cheeks. He gently wiped them away, holding her, cradling her like a precious life-sized doll. He didn't want to let go. It seemed an age had passed when she was wrenched out of his grip. 

'Ron!' He heard Hermione scream as she was being dragged away. 'Ron!' 

'Hermione!' He tried to reach out for her, calling her name blindly over and over, but all he could see in front of him was Ginny pleading for her life. He passed out. That was the last time he remembered them.


	5. Harry

**Chapter 5: Harry**

Ron cautiously entered Harry's cell, his heart beating wildly as he spotted the huddled figure of the prisoner in the corner. The figure moved slightly as it perceived movement in the cell entrance. Ron set his jaw resolutely, and stepped towards it, determination and purpose in his step.

'What do you want?' Harry asked coldly, not looking up. Ron stopped dead in his tracks.

'Harry, it's me, Ron,' he said softly, growing unsure of himself. Harry peered up at the dark figure of Ron standing over him through a broken glasses lense, hate emanating from his clear green eyes.

'Get out, I don't want to see you,' he replied shortly. 'I have nothing to say to you, _Death Eater,' he spat fiercely. 'Or are you here to torture me, like all the rest of them?' he hissed, deliberately turning his back on Ron._

'I'm not here for that.' He heard Harry snort derisively. 'I'm not, Harry, I swear. Can you please just hear me out?' he pleaded.

'Why should I?' The malice in Harry's voice startled him. He had never imagined Harry that could be so cold. 'Give me one good reason. Actually, no, don't bother; I don't want to hear any of it.'

'Please?' Ron implored. 'Well, I wouldn't want to hear it if I were you, but I'm going to talk anyway,' he rambled nervously. 'It's up to you if you want to listen or not.' He noticed Harry look at him suspiciously, yet with undeniable curiosity.

Silence ensued. Ron shuffled around uneasily.

'Go on then,' Harry decided at last. 'Talk. Let's see if you have anything worthwhile to say.' The bitterness in his voice sharpened. Ron knew that he was thinking about Ginny. Hell, he always thought about her himself! Ron took a shaky breath.

'I'm sorry…'

'Is _that all you have to say?' Harry interrupted, letting out a bark of resentful laughter. 'It's a bit too late for that, don't you think, __Ron?' He spoke the name viciously, as if it was tainted. _

'But it wasn't me!' Ron cried, losing his composure. 'Voldemort had me under the Persuasion Curse. I think it's like a...'

'… a cross between the Memory Charm and the Imperius Curse…' Harry muttered interrupting him again, his forehead creased in uncertainty.

'Yeah,' Ron nodding fervently, 'I didn't remember anything! And they gave me Hermione to torture – and I… I didn't recognise her until I… until I… I _killed her!' Ron's voice grew hoarse from the gnawing misery inside of him. He realised that this was the first time he'd actually spoken of her death. His knees began to shake. _

'You _killed Hermione?' Harry stared at him, horrified and dumbfounded. _

Ron bit his lip, trying to steady his voice. 'Yes,' he said finally. 'And I'm not proud of it. I miss her every moment of every day… and there's nothing I can do about it!' His trembling knees gave way and he fell to the floor, burying his face into his hands.

'Ron, what is it you want?' Harry asked in a softer, wearier tone. Ron lifted his head in surprise. Harry stood in front of him, offering him a hand. Ron stared at him in silence. There was a mixture of sadness and hate in Harry's eyes, yet Ron knew that something in Harry still trusted him. Ron took Harry's proffered hand and climbed to his feet.

'I want to help you escape.'

*          *          *__

Spying the secret entrance he was looking for, Ron motioned for Harry to move forward. Harry looked around tentatively before adhering to the gesture, creeping up behind him. Ron opened the entrance with a tap of his wand. Darkness welcomed them from inside the entrance of the revealed tunnel.

'Go Harry, quickly!' Ron urged, pushing Harry ahead of him. But before Harry disappeared into the darkness, he turned around to face him.

'Why are you doing this, Ron?'

The question took Ron aback. He paused for a moment, hesitating before he spoke. 'I – I just want to do something right.' He paused again, unsure of how to articulate the storm of his thoughts coherently. Harry watched him intently. Ron opened his mouth once more, but the look in Harry's eyes stopped him. Harry understood. Ron felt a surge of love for his former best friend.

'Harry, I…' What could he say? A simple apology was too… _clear cut_ for the horrors he had caused. 'I wish things were different.'

'So do I, Ron,' Harry answered sadly. 'So do I.' With that, Harry turned and vanished into the shadows.

Ron breathed a sigh of relief as he closed the tunnel behind Harry and turned to walk back to his quarters, unable to stop himself from grinning. He felt lighter; _freer somehow. He rounded the next corner… and froze, suddenly facing five evilly smirking Death Eaters led by Draco Malfoy, their brandished wands all pointed at him._

Caught.


	6. Ron's Last Stand

**Chapter 6: Ron's Last Stand**

'So, what have _you been up to, Weasley?' Malfoy asked mock-innocently, his smirk widening. 'Busy little bee, aren't we?' Ron stood frozen in astonishment, too shocked retaliate. Malfoy took the opportunity to step forward and snatch his wand from him. Ron didn't move, his mouth open in utter disbelief. Pleased with the affect of his presence on Ron, Malfoy turned to his henchmen._

'You three,' he ordered, pointing to three of his horde, 'after Potter.'

Ron sighed inwardly as he watched the Death Eaters go after Harry, dread slowly eating at him. _Harry will get out of here. Harry will__ be free, he willed himself to believe, despite his rapidly mounting doubt. _

'Come with me, Weasley. The Master is _most_ displeased with you.' Malfoy's smile grew sugar sweet.

_I'm done for, Ron realised as he trudged, defeated, after him. He had no choice but to follow._

***          *          ***

'Get in there!' Malfoy ordered forcefully, pushing Ron through the door of Voldemort's chamber. He laughed nastily as Ron tripped on a stone slab just inside the entrance. Stepping around him, Malfoy strode forward and bowed to Voldemort, who was flanked by his inner circle of Death Eaters in the centre of the room.

'I have found the traitor, Master,' he announced respectfully. 'Potter has escaped, but I have sent my best men to find him. He _will_ be found, my Lord.' Malfoy bowed again, as Ron was brought forward.

'Very good, Malfoy,' Voldemort nodded, approvingly. He turned to Ron. 'Weasley, I am very, _very disappointed,' Voldemort chided in a tone shrouded in malevolence. 'I expected more from you.'_

Ron stood in defiant silence. He knew that nothing he could say would change anything. 

'Quiet?' Voldemort seemed surprised, obviously assuming that Ron would begin pleading for his life. 'No pleas for mercy? No tears? My, Weasley, you _are_ a brave one. Brave, and undoubtedly foolish.'

Ron's eyes flashed in anger, but he forced himself to hold his tongue. He clenched his fists, trembling slightly.

'I never accounted for that Mudblood girlfriend of yours to have had such an effect on you,' Voldemort continued venomously.  

'Don't you _dare call her that filthy name!' Ron seethed, his body now shaking uncontrollably. _

'And why not, may I ask?' Voldemort gazed at him cruelly as if taunting him to continue. There was a dangerous look in his eyes, but Ron answered nonetheless.

'Hermione was the most beautiful person I have ever known, and I loved her with all my heart. She was smart… no, not smart…' Ron searched for the right words. 'She was… intelligent. Intelligent and funny, but she… she never managed to beat me playing chess,' he rambled. He realised the longer he talked, the longer he lived. 'She was the cleverest witch in our year, and being Muggle-born never changed that - if anything, it made her stronger! And it was her love for me that broke that spell I was under all that time. So in the end,_ she_ was stronger than _you'll _ever be!'

There was a stunned silence. Ron briefly wondered whether he'd gone too far, before Voldemort broke in with a nasty high-pitched chuckle.

'Oh, how sweet,' Voldemort cooed to his followers, 'Weasley is lovesick.' The Death Eaters sniggered amongst themselves. Voldemort silenced them a moment later with a wave, growing sombre. 'She was a Mudblood,' he said tersely. 'I have warned you before, Weasley, of the charms Mudbloods are able to hold over us, but you dared disregard my words.' Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously. 'And for this, as well as your pitiful defiance, you will suffer.' He raised his wand, '_Crucio!'  _

Ron gasped as pain like he had never felt before flooded through him. He gasped again, it moved swiftly into every region of his body. He fell, writhing on the floor, trying to suppress a scream. Oddly, his mind was clear. _This is what Hermione would have felt, _he realised, before the red-hot pain finally overtook all conscious thought. He screamed in agony. 

Suddenly, the pain stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw that Voldemort held his wand at his side. Ron crawled to his knees, looking up at Voldemort with pure hatred.

'You made me kill my sister!' he panted hoarsely, his voice filled with loathing. 'You made me kill the only girl I have ever loved! I just helped your worst enemy escape – and I would help him again if I had to! Just kill me and get it over and done with,' Ron spat with surprising nerve. He didn't care anymore, he was worn out. He thought of nothing more than finally being reunited with Hermione. He smiled inwardly at the thought of her. He knew his outburst would not exact an ounce of mercy from Voldemort. He was right.

'_Crucio!' Voldemort cursed cruelly. Once again, Ron screamed as red-hot knives of pain spread across to every inch of his body. He cried. He cried for Hermione, for Ginny, for Harry, and for himself and the way things should have been. _

'Oh no, Weasley,' Voldemort said smoothly, lowering his wand, 'I have a very special punishment for _you.' Voldemort grinned sadistically. The blast of malice behind it shook Ron to the core, but he held himself together, roughly wiping away his tears. 'You __would like to see your friends again, wouldn't you?' Voldemort pressed callously. As the significance of the words finally dawned on him, Ron stared at Voldemort, open mouthed. _Was he going reunite him with Hermione?__

Voldemort raised his wand and aimed it at Ron's heart.

'OBLIVIATE!'

~*~ The End ~*~


End file.
